Latest Arkansas Headlines
All the headlines from our Arkansas Topic Page, ordered by recency.
McClain Appointed as Arkansas’ New Insurance Commissioner
Apr 27 2020 // Alan McClain is now Arkansas Insurance Commissioner — its 24th — having been named to lead the Arkansas Insurance Department (AID) by Gov. Asa Hutchinson in early April. He previously has served as Commissioner of...
Arkansas Insurance Dept. to Consumers: Contact Agents About COVID-19 Premium Relief
Apr 16 2020 // The Arkansas Insurance Department is advising auto insurance consumers to contact their insurance agents as to whether their auto insurance carrier is offering premium relief in light of the COVID-19 health crisis. AID has...
300 Homes, Buildings Damaged by Tornadoes in Louisiana
Apr 14 2020 // Though tornadoes were reported in Arkansas, Lousiana and Texas over the Easter weekend, in the South Central region, northern Louisiana bore the brunt of the storm system that swept across the South on Sunday. The weather...
Little Rock, Arkansas, Bans Vehicle Caravans During Outbreak
Apr 8 2020 // Arkansas’ largest city is banning vehicle caravans during the coronavirus outbreak after a large crowd of vehicles gathered over the weekend. Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott announced the executive order on April 6 in...
Assessment: 100s of Homes Damaged, Destroyed in Arkansas Tornado
Apr 1 2020 // Hundreds of homes were damaged or destroyed in an EF-3 tornado that swept through Jonesboro, officials said Monday following damage assessments. Craighead County Judge Marvin Day said about 150 homes were mostly or...
6 Hurt as Tornado Tears Through Arkansas College Town
Mar 30 2020 // A tornado ripped through northeast Arkansas on Saturday, leaving six people hurt after hitting commercial and residential areas in the college town of Jonesboro. The six people reported injured were taken to a local...
Online Flood Insurer, Neptune, Offering Coverage in Arkansas, Illinois
Mar 23 2020 // Neptune Flood Inc., an all-digital, online flood insurance company, has opened for business in Arkansas and Illinois. Households in these states now have access to Neptune’s simple flood insurance solution. Neptune...
Tornado-Bearing Storms Spread Damage Across Parts of Arkansas, Texas
Mar 23 2020 // Severe storms, including at least one possible tornado, struck parts of Arkansas on the evening of March 19, damaging homes and causing widespread damage to trees and power lines. Additionally, the National Weather Service...
Arkansas’ Southern Pioneer P/C Insurance Acquired by Biglari; Ratings Unchanged
Mar 16 2020 // AM Best said the Financial Strength Rating of B++ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) of “bbb” of Southern Pioneer Property and Casualty Insurance Co. (Southern Pioneer), based in...
Arkansas Insurance Commissioner Kerr to Return to Private Sector
Mar 5 2020 // Arkansas Insurance Commissioner Allen Kerr is resigning from his post effective March 27, 2020, to pursue opportunities in the private sector, the state insurance department reported. Kerr was named appointed as insurance...
More than $3M Recovered for Arkansas Insurance Consumers in 2019
Feb 24 2020 // The Arkansas Insurance Department’s Consumer Services Division (CSD) recovered $3,005,606 for consumers in 2019, the department said. Recoveries are dollar amounts recovered in excess of the amounts initially offered...
Ex-Student, University of Arkansas, Settle Rape Lawsuit
Feb 20 2020 // The University of Arkansas and a former student reached a settlement agreement in a lawsuit alleging school officials acted with “deliberate indifference” after she reported being sexually assaulted by another...
Arkansas Health System Sued for Age Discrimination
Feb 10 2020 // White River Health System Inc., a provider of health care services throughout North Central Arkansas, has been sued by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for age discrimination. In a lawsuit filed on...
Arkansas Restaurant to Pay $300K to Settle Federal Sex Harassment Lawsuit
Feb 7 2020 // Pei Wei Asian Diner LLC, doing business as Pei Wei Fresh Kitchen in Little Rock, Arkansas, will pay $300,000 to former employees as part of a settlement of a sexual harassment and constructive discharge lawsuit. The U.S....
Arkansas’ Benton County to Appeal FEMA Denial of Aid for Tornado Damages
Feb 6 2020 // Benton County plans to appeal the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s decision to not help pay for the costs to clean up damages from two tornadoes that struck in October, officials said. The county was notified of...
Arkansas Insurance Dept. Recovers more than $3M for Consumers in 2019
Feb 5 2020 // The Arkansas Insurance Department’s Consumer Services Division (CSD) for recovering $3,005,606 for the state’s insurance consumers in 2019, the department said. Recoveries are dollar amounts recovered in excess...
Number of Licensed Insurance Producers, Adjusters Increases
Jan 27 2020 // in Arkansas The number of licensed insurance producers in Arkansas has risen by 66.1% since early 2015, according to the Arkansas Insurance Department. The department said there are now 145,185 insurance producers and...
Truck, School Bus Collide in Arkansas, Injuring 9
Jan 23 2020 // Nine people were injured, including a child who was airlifted to a hospital, when a school bus and a dump truck collided Tuesday afternoon on a state highway in northeast Arkansas, authorities said. Arkansas State Police...
Arkansas’ Kerr Named Chair of NAIC’s Market Regulation, Consumer Affairs Committee
Jan 22 2020 // Arkansas Insurance Commissioner Allen Kerr has been named chairman of the Market Regulation and Consumer Affairs (D) Committee of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) for 2020. This is the second time...
Insurer to Pay Settlement in Title IX Suit Against Southern Arkansas University
Jan 14 2020 // A former Southern Arkansas University student has settled a lawsuit with the university in Magnolia alleging SAU acted with “deliberate indifference” when she reported being sexually assaulted in 2015. The...
